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Friends  Bulletin 

PACIFIC  YEARLY  MEETING  OF  THE  RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS 
VOLUME  36,  NUMBER  4 DECEMBER,  1967 


FRIENDS  WORLD  COMMITTEE  FOR  CONSULTATION 

Address  given  by  MARGARET  GIBBINS,  Executive  Secretary  of  the  European  Section  of  the  World 

Committee  to  Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  1967. 


“What  is  the  chief  end  of  Man?  Mans  chief 
end  is  to  glorify  God  and  to  enjoy  Him  forever  .” 
This  is  the  first  question  and  answer  in  the  cate- 
chism issued  by  the  Church  of  Scotland.  The 
question  is  a searching  one,  and  the  reply  a shout 
of  praise  and  joy.  This,  I believe,  is  what  life 
is  for,  but  there  are  conditions  attached  before 
one  knows  or  experiences  the  joy,  the  glory,  the 
enjoyment.  Search  and  discovery  are  experi- 
enced each  day  by  every  one  of  us,  but  before 
one  may  enjoy  God  forever  one  has  to  forget 
oneself,  lay  aside  one's  own  problems  and  share 
with  one’s  neighbor  what  one  has  found  of  worth, 
spiritually,  mentally,  and  materially. 

As  Martin  Buber,  whom  I dearly  love — his 
work,  and  the  man  when  I met  him — put  it,  “You 
think  / am  far  away  from  you,  but  in  your  love 
for  your  neighbors,  you  will  find  Me;  not  in  his 
love  for  you,  but  in  yours  for  him.”  (That  is  the 
rub  often  for  most  of  us.)  He  who  loves  brings 
God  and  the  world  together.  If  one  tries  to  glori- 
fy and  enjoy  Him,  intent  on  one’s  own  fulfill- 
ment, divorced  from  the  world  around  about 
one,  then  the  glory  and  the  joy  are  a sham.  The 
reality  does  not  exist  and  one  hasn’t  even  begun 
to  learn  how  to  love  God  and  man.  I have  found 
that  at  rare  intervals  when  one  does  accept  the 
conditions,  one  can  catch  a fleeting  hold  of  the 
experience,  and  at  that  moment  the  reality  is  full 
of  wonder ; but  alas,  one  does  not  always  fulfill 
the  requirement,  and  one  is  then  bereft  of  the 
joy  and  the  inward  peace. 

What  is  the  “how”  and  the  “why”  of  the 
Friends  World  Conference  for  Consultation 
and  the  Fourth  World  Conference?  It  is  in- 
teresting that  it  was  in  part  a memorandum 
from  Germany  Yearly  Meeting  in  1929  that 
helped  awaken  Friends  to  their  need  of  each 
other  across  national  boundaries:  “It  has 
always  been  clear  that  the  formation  of  a 
Yearly  Meeting  could  not  be  an  end  in  itself 
but  only  the  means  by  which  to  work  out- 
wards from  this  center  . . . The  task  affects 
not  only  Germany  Yearly  Meeting  as  one 
in  itself,  secluded  and  separated  from  the 
fellowship  of  the  rest  of  the  Yearly  Meetings 
. . . (think  of  this  just  now  in  connection  with 
East  Germany)  ...  but  the  penetration  of 
a fundamental  way  of  thought  over  the  whole 


world  and  in  all  human  relationships.  We 
believe  the  time  has  come  to  put  all  our 
common  strength  together.  There  the  great 
task  lies.  Let  us  go  further  along  the  road 
which  leads  from  the  limitation  of  our  single 
Yearly  Meeting  to  the  community  of  a great 
Religious  Society  of  Friends.” 

The  First  World  Conference  was  in  1920. 
A continuing  committee  was  formed  to  see 
if  the  time  had  come  to  form  a World  Com- 
mittee but  found  the  Society  wasn’t  ready 
for  this  revolutionary  prospect  and  was  laid 
down. 

In  1937  the  Second  World  Conference  of 
Friends  met  in  Swarthmore,  Pennsylvania. 
Friends  realized  again  their  need  of  each 
other,  decided  to  put  “all  their  common 
strength  together  where  the  great  task  lay,” 
and  the  Friends  World  Committee  for  Con- 
sultation was  born.  Of  course,  there  were 
fears  expressed — about  the  rights  of  individ- 
ual Yearly  Meetings,  fears  that  a large  inter- 
national body  might  try  to  speak  for  the 
whole  Society — so  the  telling  phrase  was 
limited  by  the  words  “for  Consultation.” 
There  are  those  who  after  thirty  years  still 
guard  these  two  words  diligently.  There  are 
those,  yes,  in  America,  who  quietly  appear 
to  drop  them;  in  the  Minutes  of  the  first 
European  Section  meeting  in  1938  the  sen- 
tence appears  “in  every  day  practise  the  last 
two  words  would  be  dropped.” 

In  1937  there  was  already  an  international 
committee  in  Europe,  through  the  work  of 
Friend  Carl  Heath  who  was  so  keen  on 
setting  up  Quaker  embassies,  which  became 
the  European  Section  of  the  new  World  Com- 
mittee. An  American  Section  was  formed 
with  the  American  Friends  Service  Commit- 
tee represented  on  it.  To  get  going  quickly 
the  Chairman  and  Secretary  of  the  European 
committee,  Carl  Heath  and  Fred  Tritton, 
both  Englishmen,  were  asked  to  act  as  Chair- 
man and  Secretary  for  the  full  World  Com- 
mittee for  the  beginning  time.  It  was  hoped 
that  other  sections  would  be  established, 
but  so  far  this  hasn’t  happened.  I imagine 
we  are  now  within  about  two  years  of  an 
African  Section  coming  into  being,  and  prob- 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  2 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


ably  there  will  be  an  Asian  Section  in  the 
not  too  distant  future. 

The  first  European  Section  meeting  took 
place  in  1938,  attended  by  representatives 
from  America;  the  next  was  in  1939  in  Gen- 
eva. Then  the  war  came,  and  Friends  didn’t 
meet  again  until  1946  in  England,  when  the 
opening  Minute  recorded  “This  present  meet- 
ing is  a proof  that  spiritual  values  could  not 
be  destroyed  by  war  or  persecution,  or  ter- 
ror, or  by  anything  in  the  world.  Friends 
knew  that  across  the  flaming  frontiers  other 
Friends  were  living  and  praying,  united  with 
one  another  in  love,  and  even  though  their 
faith  was  sometimes  sorely  tried,  they  never 
gave  up  their  belief  in  the  City  of  God  tri- 
umphing over  Destruction.  This  experience, 
which  we  of  many  countries  have  gone 
through,  places  upon  us  a very  particular 
responsibility.  May  our  worship  and  dis- 
cussion be  guided  by  God  so  that  we  may 
see  His  will  for  us  as  an  international  Society 
of  Friends  with  His  tasks  to  perform  in  the 
coming  days.” 

What  were  the  tasks  seen  by  the  World 
Committee? 

— To  encourage  and  strengthen  the  spiritual 
life  within  the  Society  of  Friends,  through 
such  measures  as  the  promotion  of  intervis- 
itation, study,  conferences,  and  a wide  shar- 
ing of  experiences  at  the  deepest  spiritual 
level. 

— To  help  Friends  gain  a better  understand- 
ing of  the  world-wide  character  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends  and  its  vocation  in  the  world 
today. 

— To  promote  consultation  among  Friends 
of  all  cultures,  countries  and  languages. 

— To  promote  understanding  between 
Friends  of  all  countries  and  members  of 
other  branches  of  the  Christian  church  and 
with  members  of  other  religious  faiths. 

— To  keep  under  review  the  Quaker  contri- 
bution in  world  affairs. 

Has  the  Committee  accomplished  these 
tasks?  The  answer  is,  I believe,  “Yes,  to 
some  extent,”  though  there  are  endless  pos- 
sibilities still  before  us.  Many  examples  could 
be  quoted  of  attempts  to  carry  out  its  func- 
tions: I will  give  you  some  out  of  my  own 
experience,  starting  with  the  Quaker  Youth 
Pilgrimage. 

As  you  know,  you  have  two  young  people 
from  Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  on  that  Pil- 
grimage at  the  moment.  This  is  the  fifth  Pil- 
grimage when  fourteen  American  high  school 
teenagers  join  fourteen  Europeans,  partly 
London  Yearly  Meeting,  partly  from  the  con- 
tinent, for  a month,  first  with  two  weeks  in 
the  northwest  of  England,  learning  about 
the  Quaker  country,  meeting  with  such  peo- 
ple as  Elfrida  Vipont  Fouldes  . . . discussiing, 


worshipping,  having  a good  time  together, 
and  becoming  knit  together  into  an  amazing 
unity.  This  has  happened  every  time.  They 
then  normally  move  to  a city,  London  this 
year,  where  they  meet  with  the  young 
Friends  in  the  area,  and  widen  their  scope: 
but  they  have  grown  very  close  together  in 
this  fortnight,  and  they  do  not  want  to  meet 
easily  with  other  people.  Then  they  are 
pushed  into  a work  camp,  this  year  in  Ger- 
many, serving  a community:  again,  at  the 
beginning  they  resent  it  because  they  wish 
to  remain  as  a unity.  They  have  found  each 
other,  and  do  not  wish  to  share!  But  they 
come  to  realize  that  this  is  something  that 
faces  us  all  in  life,  moving  into  action  in  a 
wider  sphere,  forgetting  themselves:  that 
they  too  will  gain  with  the  experience.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  aspects  of  work 
that  the  World  Committee  has  established. 
There  has  not  yet  been  a “best”  Quaker 
Youth  Pilgrimage! 

* * 

The  FWCC  has  organized  ,of  course,  a 
great  deal  of  visitation.  Recently  four  of  us, 
including  Hugh  Doncaster,  paid  a visit  to 
Friends  in  Lebanon  and  Jordan.  It  was 
really  a visit  bewteen  family  members;  but 
moving  into  the  very  tense  situation  one  is 
immediately  overwhelmed  by  the  great 
problems;  there  is  no  escape,  and  perhaps 
there  should  not  be.  The  Friends  of  the 
Near  East  Yearly  Meeting  are  very  con- 
scious that  as  a Society  we  have  done  so 
much  for  Jewish  people  that  we  are  apt  to 
forget  that  there  is  also  an  Arab  situation. 
They  begged  us  to  remind  Friends  around 
the  world  that  they  too  need  consideration, 
understanding,  and  to  be  remembered  in 
our  prayers.  We  all  spoke  to  mnay  Friends, 
and  whatever  the  discussion  back  it  came 
to  their  own  problem  there.  A Friend,  a 
doctor,  to  whom  we  were  saying,  “Now, 
look!  Israel  exists  . . . must  be  accepted!”, 
answered  to  me,  “Margaret,  someone  is 
sleeping  in  my  bed.”  What  answer  has  one 
to  this?  But  out  of  our  visit  came  one, 
among  others,  positive  and  unprecedented 
contribution:  In  their  Epistle,  for  the  first 
time,  appeared  the  word  that  God  was  Father 
of  the  Arab,  but  was  also  Father  of  the  Jew. 
Our  visit  there  was  in  some  respects  then 
a visit  of  loving  concern,  but  in  part  of  recon- 
ciliation, and  they  now  feel  themselves  linked 
very  closely  with  the  FWCC,  especially  with 
the  European  Section.  Arising  out  of  the 
World  Conference  there  will  be  another  visit 
of  two  Friends  there,  probably  in  September. 
* * * 

East  German  Friends  of  course  feel  their 
isolation  very  definitely.  We  had  hoped  to 
have  three  at  the  World  Conference:  West- 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  3 


ern  authorities  agreed,  but  the  Americans, 
and  it  would  have  been  the  same  from  the 
British,  made  the  condition  that  travel  docu- 
ments must  be  got  through  the  Allied  Travel 
Bureau,  as  we  do  not  recognize  an  East  Ger- 
man passport;  then  the  East  German  author- 
ities said,  “Our  passports  are  perfectly  all 
right;  we  will  not  pass  through  the  Allied 
Travel  Bureau  in  West  Berlin,”  and  it  be- 
came a political  issue. 

I have  visited  Quaker  groups  in  East  Ger- 
many with  a Norwegian  Friend  three  times 
in  the  last  few  years,  holding  many  public 
meetings  in  various  tongues  in  various  cities; 
we  stayed  in  Friends’  homes  and  talked  long 
into  the  nights.  In  Eisenach  with  a Friend 
whose  two  sons  had  defected  to  the  west, 
we  looked  across  the  border,  and  she  said 
to  me  what  perhaps  highlights  feelings  in 
this  isolation,  “Margaret,  as  you  look  to  the 
West,  will  you  remember  that  I will  possi- 
bly never  see  my  grandchildren,  nor  my 
grandchildren  ever  see  me.”  It  is  in  this 
situation  that  our  East  German  Friends  live 
and  witness,  and  it  is  through  the  World 
Committee,  in  part,  that  we  manage  to  keep 
them  in  touch  with  a wider  body  of  Friends. 

We  are  very  much  concerned  to  revive 
the  Friends’  travel  in  the  ministry.  There 
may  be  many  Friends  capable,  willing,  and 
with  the  time  to  give  this  service,  but  prob- 
ably these  Friends  are  ones  who  would  not 
offer,  and  it  may  be  that  we  have  to  lay  it 
on  some  Friends.  In  Europe  we  laid  it  re- 
cently on  a German  Friend,  Otto  Frick:  his 
wife  died  two  years  ago,  and  he  did  not 
think  he  could  possibly  undertake  such  ser- 
vice; but  in  the  end,  he  has  just  been  to 
Switzerland,  and  the  experience  both  for 
the  Swiss  Friends  and  for  Otto  Frick  him- 
self has  been  so  overwhelming  in  the  min- 
istry that  he  would  not  accept  any  expenses 

at  all  but  has  given  it  in  memory  of  his  wife. 
* * 

There  is,  in  the  world  family  of  Friends, 
a huge  ecumenical  membership.  We  remem- 
ber the  FWCC  Meeting  in  Kenya  in  1961 
and  the  complete  amazement  of  some  of  the 
village  East  African  Friends  that  there  were 
Friends  from  India,  from  Japan,  that  there 
was  even  an  American  negro  among  us! 
They  thought  all  Friends  were  of  the  Amer- 
ican Board  of  Missions  in  Richmond.  It  was 
equally  an  amazing  experience  for  some 
members  of  the  World  Committee  to  find 
this  huge,  pulsating  Yearly  Meeting,  over 
30,000  strong,  the  result  of  missions.  Sus- 
picious, we  are,  many  of  us,  of  the  work  of 
missions,  and  yet  here  were  the  Friends 
before  us  who  would  not  have  been  what 
they  were  without  the  missions  going  to 
them  ...  We  were  invited  into  many  homes, 


mostly  much  more  humble  than  any  among 
Friends  in  Britian  or  America:  thatched  cot- 
tages, mud  floors,  and  little  of  this  world’s 
goods  within  them,  but  with  tenderness  and 
love  they  poured  out  on  us  what  they  had 
in  their  larders.  Before  every  meal  in  those 
homes  the  young  children  came  round,  one 
with  hot  water,  one  with  a basin,  one  with 
soap,  one  with  a towel,  and  we  washed  our 
hands  one  after  another  before  we  gathered 
at  the  table.  This  was  really  communion 
among  us. 

— Another  experience  from  FWCC  must  be 
mentioned:  the  colloquia  this  year  in  Japan 
and  India:  the  report  says,  “The  men  left, 
saying  that  they  had  never  dreamed  that 
such  an  intimate  exchange  was  possible  be- 
tween, on  the  one  hand,  Christians  and 
Buddhists,  and  on  the  other,  Christians  and 
Hindu.” 

T- 

I have  got  to  admit,  however,  that  the 
FWCC  is  not  yet  persona  grata  to  all  Friends 
within  our  world  family.  One  reason,  cer- 
tainly is  that  the  Yearly  Meeting  represent- 
atives on  the  Committee  have  so  far  failed 
to  convince  all  Friends  of  the  need  for  it 
or  of  its  potential,  and  this  is  mea  culpa  also 
to  myself.  A second  reason  is  the  afore- 
mentioned fear  of  an  international  body 
wielding  power  on  behalf  of  the  full  Society. 
A third  reason,  I believe,  is  the  feeling  in 
certain  branches  of  Quakerism  that  the 
World  Committee  includes  representatives 
from  Yearly  Meetings  with  too  liberal  or 
too  unsound  an  interpretation  of  Quaker 
belief. 

Those  of  us  who  are  convinced  of  its  value 
need  somehow  to  transmit  to  others  our 
vision  of  what  it  can  accomplish.  I believe 
the  Society  of  Friends  needs  the  World  Com- 
mittee. 

Firstly,  the  World  Committee  can  help 
us  to  realize  the  powers,  the  depth,  to  re- 
discover the  touchstone  of  constancy  in  com- 
mitment, of  Quakerism  by  leading  us  to 
wider  encounters,  within  our  own  Yearly 
Meetings,  but  particularly  with  Friends  of 
other  Yearly  Metenigs.  These  encounters 
can  free  us  completely  to  accept  variety  in 
those  areas  which  though  important  to  some 
of  us,  are  not  really  vital  to  the  heartbeat  of 
Quakerism. 

There  are  terrific  differences  within  our 
Quaker  groups.  Friends  of  Japan  and  India 
say  that  while  they  want  to  hold  fast  to  the 
roots  of  Quakerism  they  need  to  develop  a 
Japanese  and  an  Indian  form  of  Quakerism: 
they  do  not  wish  to  swallow  an  Anglo-Saxon 
export.  This  doesn’t  mean  that  the  content 
Continued  on  page  6) 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  4 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 

2635  Emerald  Street 
Eugene,  Oregon  97403 

ALICE  DART,  Editor 

VOL.  36,  No.  4 DECEMBER,  1967 

The  official  organ  of  news  and  opinion  of  Pacific 
Yearly  Meeting  of  the  Religious  Society  of  Friends. 

Second-class  postage  paid  at  Eugene,  Oregon. 

PUBLISHED  monthly  except  bi-monthly  in  January- 
February  and  July-August.  Deadline  for  copy  Is  tenth 
of  month  preceding  issue;  except  first  of  September, 
January,  and  July. 

SUBSCRIPTION  RATES:  $3.00  per  year.  Monthly 

Meetings  are  encouraged  to  collect  and  subscribe  for 
all  their  subscribers.  Contributions  beyond  subscrip- 
tions are  welcome  to  help  meet  actual  costs  and  reduce 
Yearly  Meeting  subsidy.  Contributions  are  tax  exempt. 
Receipts  sent  on  request. 

ADVERTISEMENTS:  Classified— five  cents  a word; 
subject  to  approval  of  contents. 

PACIFIC  YEARLY  MEETING 
OFFICERS 

Presiding  Clerk:  MADGE  T.  SEAVER,  2160  Lake  St., 
San  Francisco,  CA  94121. 

Assistant  Clerk:  ROBERT  McINNES,  1303  Madrone 
PL,  Davis,  CA  95616. 

Recording  Clerk:  RICHARD  MANNERS,  6253  Temple 
City  Blvd.,  Temple  City,  CA  91780. 

Statistical  Secretary:  MILDRED  BURCK,  5820  N. 

Vineyard  Dr.,  Corvallis,  OR  97330. 

Treasurer:  ROBERT  YOUNG,  201  S.  Lake  Avenue, 
Suite  305,  Pasadena  CA  91101 
Young  Friends  Clerk:  ROY  DIMON,  13282  Herron, 
Sylmar,  CA  91342. 

Junior  YM  Clerk:  DAN  BLICKENSTAFF.  Rt.  1,  Box 
J-26,  Nevada  City,  CA  95959. 


COMMITTEE  CHAIRMEN 

Bulletin:  MARY  ETTER,  2815  Elinor  St.,  Eugene,  OR 
97403. 

Discipline:  ESTHER  RICHARDS,  2814  N.E.  27th  Ave., 
Portland,  OR  97212. 

Education:  Correspondent:  ANN  SCOTT,  570  Crauleigh, 
Reno,  NV  89502. 

Finance:  PATON  CROUSE,  1238  111th  N.E.,  Bellevue, 
WA  98004. 

Friends  in  the  Orient:  CATHERINE  BRUNER,  1603 
Woodland  Dr.,  Stockton,  CA  95207. 

Friends  Schools:  HELEN  STEVENSON,  Argenta,  B.C., 
Canada 

History:  WALT  RAITT,  7919  Misty  Lane,  Stockton, 
CA  95207. 

Ministry  and  Oversight:  HUGH  CAMPBELL-BROWN, 
Okanagan  Landing,  B.C.,  Canada 

New  Ways  of  Bringing  Friends  Together  in  Meetings: 
PHILLIP  WELLS,  6350  Trelawney  Ave.,  Temple 
City.  CA  91780 

Nominating:  WALT  RAITT,  7919  Misty  Ln.,  Stockton, 
CA  95207 

Peace:  To  be  appointed. 

Permanent  Site:  ROBERT  BARNS,  1836  Lehigh  Dr., 
Davis,  CA  95616. 

PYM  Holding  Corporation:  HARRY  BAILEY,  13864 
Sayre  St.,  Sylmar,  CA  91342 

Social  Order:  To  be  appointed. 

Visitation:  CLIFFORD  MASER,  215  De  Armond  Way, 
Corvallis,  OR  97330 

1968 

EXECUTIVE  SWEETING  March  16,  17 

Friends  Center  San  Francisco,  California 

YEARLY  MEETING  August  19-23 

St.  Mary’s  College  Moraga,  California 


FROM  THE  YEARLY  MEETING 
THE  TREASURER 

Robert  Young  has  moved  his  offices  to  the  fol- 
lowing address,  where  all  Yearly  Meeting  corres- 
pondence to  him  should  be  sent: 

Robert  Young,  PYM  Treasurer 
201  South  Lake  Ave.,  Suite  305 
Pasadena,  California  91101 

FROM  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  THE 
FRIEND  IN  THE  ORIENT 

Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  at  Claremont  College  in 
August  approved  a concern  of  University  Meeting, 
Seattle,  that  we  become  more  involved  in  the  suf- 
fering of  Southeast  Asia  by  sending  one  of  our 
members  to  Vietnam  as  “A  Friend  in  the  Orient.” 

It  is  not  felt  that  this  person  will  be  just  another 
doctor  or  social  worker  to  serve  with  the  American 
Friends  Service  Committee  or  similar  organization, 
important  as  that  will  be,  but  a concerned  Quaker 
Presence  in  the  area  to  represent  us  personally  and 
to  keep  us  constantly  aware  of  what  is  happening 
to  the  people  of  Vietnam  for  which  we  each  bear 
responsibility  and  guilt. 

The  committee  is  searching  for  a suitable  person 
or  couple  to  undertake  this  mission  for  us  and 
would  welcome  suggestions. 

In  the  meantime  we  are  asking  members  and 
meetings  of  PYM  (and  any  other  concerned  friends) 
to  assure  us  of  the  necessary  five  or  six  thousand 
dollars  to  cover  the  first  year  of  such  a mission. 
This  letter  is  being  addressed  to  the  clerk  of  each 
Meeting  to  ask  him  to  keep  his  Meeting  informed 
of  this  concern  and  to  inquire  of  his  Monthly  Meet- 
ing if  they  would  like  to  make  a contribution  to  the 
project.  Letters  will  be  sent  soon  to  all  members  of 
the  Yearly  Meeting  asking  for  help  (a  pledge  of 
monthly  contributions  for  a year  would  be  most 
satisfactory)  but  Monthly  and  Quarterly  Meetings 
will  also,  we  hope,  budget  money  for  this  work. 

Friends  should  not  confuse  this  concern  with  that 
of  a special  fund  for  medical  relief  to  Vietnam  to 
be  sent  through  the  Canadian  Friends  Service  Com- 
mittee which  was  also  approved  by  Yearly  Meeting. 
The  two  concerns  are  mutually  compatible  but  sep- 
arately financed  and  administered,  as  is  also  true 
of  the  work  in  Asia  of  the  American  Friends  Service 
Committee. 

Checks  should  be  made  out  to  the  Treasurer 
(address  above)  and  clearly  designated  for  which- 
ever fund  intended. 

CATHERINE  BRUNER,  Chairman 


A CHRISTMAS  SUGGESTION 

A beautiful  new  edition  of  Floyd  and  Ruth 
Schmoe’s  A YEAR  IN  PARADISE  is  available. 


Paperback  $1.95 

Hard  Cover $3.75 

(Add  20  cents  for  mailing) 

12016,  87th  N.E.,  Kirkland,  WA  98033 

(or  your  bookstore)  — Adv. 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  5 


FROM  THE  FRIENDS 
WORLD  COMMITTEE 

The  Committee  held  business  sessions  in  August, 
dealing  primarily  with  the  following  concerns: 

(1)  Developing  the  FWC  as  a world  body  of 
Friends  in  touch  with  Friends  scattered  all  over 
the  world  (seeking  to  meet  their  needs  and  to  draw 
upon  their  skills  and  aid).  (2)  Visiting  in  the  Min- 
istry. This  might  include  visitation  of  Meetings  in- 
side one’s  own  country  as  well  as  abroad.  Encour- 
agement might  be  given  to  suitable  persons  who 
may  be  hesitant  to  offer  themselves  for  such  ser- 
vice. Individuals  and  groups  working  for  the  service 
bodies  might  also  benefit  from  the  visits  of  those 
travelling  in  the  ministry.  (3)  A trans-national  ap- 
proach to  Friends  mission  and  service  work.  (4) 
Communication  among  African  Friends  hopefully 
leading  to  an  African  Section  of  the  FWC,  and  con- 
sideration of  an  Asian  section  as  well.  (5)  Ecumen- 
ical relationships  with  other  Christian  bodies,  to 
the  World  Council  of  Churches  and  to  other  World 
Religions. 

Action  of  the  Committee  following  thoughtful 
discussions  of  these  areas  was  as  follows: 

(1)  Authorization  for  a small  consultative  con- 
ference, if  possible  within  a year,  to  include  repre- 
sentatives of  Friends  Mission  and  Service  bodies 
which  would  consider  these  concerns:  a)  ways  of 
encouraging  increased  consultation  between  exist- 
ing agencies;  b)  possibilities  for  timely  trans-na- 
tional operations;  c)  cooperative  pilot  projects  per- 
haps including  technical  assistance  and  economic 
development;  d)  extension  of  world  Quaker  publi- 
tions;  and  e)  provision  for  appropriate,  regular  con- 
sultations on  these  matters.  (2)  To  seek  and  appoint 
additional  staff  for  these  projects,  subject  to  secur- 
ing funds  for  these  purposes.  (3)  Appointment  of 
two  Friends,  Harold  Smuck,  Friends  United  Mis- 
sion Board  Secretary,  and  Ranjit  Chetsingh  of  In- 
dia, to  visit  Friends  in  Jordan.  (4)  Agreement  to 
make  no  plans  for  a fifth  World  Conference  pend- 
ing wide  discussion  among  Friends  which  could  be 
reported  at  the  next  triennial  meeting  to  be  held 
in  Sweden.  Opinion  ranged  from  the  feeling  that  this 
should  be  the  last  because  of  cost  of  effort,  to  the 
position  that  we  should  reduce  the  length  of  time 
between  conferences  to  nine  or  even  six  years. 

Reports  were  heard  from  the  Executive  Secre- 
tary, Blanche  Shaffer;  William  Huntington,  director 
of  the  Quaker  United  Nations  team;  and  from 
Howard  Diamond,  retiring  treasurer.  Six  different 
Friends  acted  as  recording  Clerks,  each  for  one 
session.  Douglas  Steere,  chairman,  was  appointed 
to  serve  for  another  three  years. 

Floyd  Moore,  World  Conference  Secretary,  pre- 
sented the  following  statistical  report  on  the  Con- 


ference: 

Delegates  from  Yearly  Meetings  904 

United  States  586 

Canada  14 

Central  and  South  America  33 

Europe  200 

Asia  20 

Africa  27 

Australia  and  New  Zialand  24 

Young  Friends  work  staff 35 

George  School  drama  students  28 


35  countries  were  represented;  47  of  the  51  Yearly 
Meetings  sent  delegates. 

Greensboro  Gathering  . . . 276  from  17  countries 
(197  from  U.S.). 

VIRGINIA  HECK 

Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  Representative 


FROM  THE  AFSC  CORPORATION 
MEETING,  OCTOBER,  1967 

My  first  view  of  the  American  Friends  Service 
Committee  about  half  its  lifetime  ago  saw  it  as  a 
sort  of  communion  of  Saints  who  in  silence  inhaled 
the  light  of  God  and  then  exhaled  miracles  of  social 
wisdom  and  service.  This  view  was  brought  to 
earth  during  my  days  in  C.P.S.  camps.  More  re- 
cently, as  I have  become  involved  in  the  northwest 
regional  AFSC  I have  felt  enmeshed  in  a four  di- 
mensional net  of  in  and  out  reaching  connections 
which  works  in  an  amazingly  functional  and  sensi- 
tive way.  So,  when  asked  to  represent  the  Yearly 
Meeting  as  a member  of  the  AFSC  Corporation,  I 
was  intrigued  with  the  possibility  of  participation 
in  its  inner  workings. 

The  Corporation  discussions  centered  around  a 
report  which  expressed  the  hope  that  the  links 
between  Friends’  Meetings  and  the  AFSC  could  be 
strengthened  and  deepened  in  meaning;  a sugges- 
tion was  made  that  Yearly  Meetings  might  appoint 
representatives  to  an  “advisory  council”  to  meet 
annually  for  two  days  to  “formulate  and  adopt 
minutes  of  policy  and  advice  to  the  AFSC.”  The 
ensuing  discussion  was  in  summary:  1)  There  ap- 
pears to  be  a changing  perception  of  the  role  of 
the  AFSC  from  primarily  that  of  a relief  organiza- 
tion to  one  which  attempts  to  alleviate  and  find 
solutions  for  problems  behind  the  difficulties  which 
create  the  need  for  relief.  The  question  of  relief 
is  not  difficult  to  define;  the  question  of  allevation 
and  solution  of  problems  is  more  complex,  and 
Quakers  and  others  in  the  AFSC  no  longer  easily 
find  unity  in  their  determination.  2)  Because  of 
this  shift  in  emphasis,  the  AFSC  relationship  to 
Yearly  Meetings  is  of  increasing  importance.  Is 
this  relationship  merely  a legal  necessity,  or  is  it 
a possible  source  of  inspiration  and  direction? 

Voices  heard  during  the  discussion: — “The  AFSC 
has  never  claimed  or  could  claim  to  be  representa- 
tive of  Friends  as  a whole.  If  we  attempted  that, 
we  would  lose  our  spontaneity.” — “To  look  to  the 
past  is  to  become  conservative.  Consider  how  rev- 
olutionary the  D.A.R.  is  today.” — “The  AFSC 
shouldn’t  have  to  be  a channel  for  all  Friends 
concerns.  If  its  ferment  works,  it  should  stimulate 
meetings  to  take  up  their  own  concerns  and  act  on 
them.” — “We  are  dead  if  we  are  not  in  places  where 
there  is  trouble.” — “The  AFSC  is  a recruiter  of 
members  for  Quaker  meetings.” — “We  won’t  get 
the  kind  of  persons  we  want  in  the  Corporation 
unless  we  give  them  real  responsibility.” — “If  we 
ask  advice  of  some  Yearly  Meetings  we  may  simply 
create  battlegrounds.” — “A  large  number  of  persons 
with  whom  we  work  are  not  represented  here.” 

The  AFSC  Board  meeting  held  the  same  day  in- 
cluded reports  on  possible  ways  to  increase  our 
relevance  in  the  College  program,  a survey  of  AFSC 
Family  Planning  Activities,  report  on  Vietnam 
Summer,  status  of  the  projected  Quaker  mission 
to  North  Vietnam  and  others.  Of  deep  interest  and 
concern  was  a minute  from  the  New  England  Peace 
Committee  and  Executive  Committee  suggesting 
that  in  order  to  make  a clear  witness  of  our  dis- 
approval of  our  government’s  posture  in  Vietnam 
the  AFSC  should  (1)  withdraw  its  relief  and  re- 
habilitation program  from  Vietnam  with  an  ac- 
companying public  statement;  (2)  explore  the  pos- 
sibility of  having  an  international  committee  of 
Friends  assume  responsibility  for  AFSC  projects 
there;  and  (3)  hire  more  community  organizers  in 
this  country  who  can  help  develop  broad  based 
and  outspoken  opposition  to  the  war.  Both  support 
for  this  minute  and  questionings  of  it  were  voiced 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  6 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


FRIENDS  WORLD  COMMITTEE 

(Continued) 

of  the  message  is  changed,  or  diluted,  neces- 
sarily,but  that  new  forms,  new  methods  of 
presentation  and  interpretation,  need  to  be 
adapted  to  suit  other  cultures  . . . The  tiny 
group  of  Friends  in  Barcelona,  Spain  who 
have  emerged  from  a Catholic  background, 
rejoice  in  their  new-found  Quakerism,  which 
for  them  though  it  is  demanding  is  so  liberal 
. . . I have  met  Friends  who  use  completely 
different  modes  of  expression  from  my  own, 
facing  fairly  recently  such  questions  as 
“When  were  you  saved?  Bo  you  accept  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  your  Lord  and  Sav- 
iour?” In  the  Epistles  from  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ings I find  such  variety,  as  “we  are  searching 
for  a new  language,  for  new  energies  and 
skills  to  reach  each  other  and  to  reach  out 
in  a despairing  world”  . . . and  nearly  on 
the  next  page  “The  blessed  truth  has  found 
its  way  into  hearts  as  has  been  evidenced 
by  the  splendid  altar  services  of  earnest 
speakers.” 

We  are,  in  our  beloved  Society,  offered 
a unique  opportunity  for  encounter  at  any 
regional  or  world  conference,  to  know  each 
other  as  Friends  from  varied  backgrounds 
and  cultures,  to  listen  to  each  other — we  are 
not  awfully  good  at  this — to  examine  our 
Quaker  faith  and  its  interpretations.  We 
need  to  pray  our  way  through.  To  discover 
where  we  stand,  and  what  if  anything  we 
have  to  say  as  a world  body. 

Such  an  exercise  demands  a very  loving,  a 
very  patient  heart,  a lack  of  fear  in  facing  each 
other  in  our  differences,  a willingness  to  look 
afresh  at  long-held  cherished  opinions  that  are 
ours,  and  preconceived  ideas  that  are  ours,  and 
to  search  together  for  words  and  expressions 
which  convey  meaning  to  men  and  women  today. 
The  crying  need  for  us  as  Friends  is  to  have 
time  and  to  spare  for  real  encounter;  and  dur- 
ing that  encounter  for  really  being  pertinent: 
not  with  only  a bit  of  ourselves!  Noth  with  our 
heads  only,  but  with  our  hearts  as  well;  not 
“ how  do  you  do?”  a few  moments  woship  to- 
gether and  “goodbye.”  We  need  time  to  meet 
and  worship  together,  to  separate  and  think  about 
it;  to  come  together  again  to  discuss,  listen,  and 
learn.  We  need  above  all  for  this  experiment 
humility  and  abandon  that  ivill  result  in  the  way 
of  the  Lord  and  not  that  of  any  one  group  or 
Friend . 

There  is  no  comfortable  security  along  this 
path;  but  certainty  ivill  be  revealed  to  us  as  we 
search  and  find  together.  “ Tell  me  of  your  cer- 
tainties,” said  Goethe,  “I  have  doubts  enough 
of  my  own.”  Emerging  from  this  travail  we 
dare  not  hug  our  faith  to  ourselves,  or  we  will 


become  apathetic  and  sterile.  We’ve  got  to  share 
our  certainties  with  Friends  and  with  our  neigh- 
bors, those  seekers  who  sit  outside  the  church, 
not  force-feeding  our  Quakerism  to  them,  but 
encouraging  and  strengthening  ourselves  while 
presenting  what  might  be  the  answer  for  them. 
God  doesn’t  say,  “This  way  leads  to  me,  and 
that  way  does  not.”  He  does  say;  “ Whatever 
you  do  may  be  a way  to  me,  provided  you  do  it 
in  such  a way  that  it  leads  to  me.” 

I also  believe  the  Society  of  Friends  needs 
the  World  Committee  because  with  its  in- 
ternational constituency  the  Committee  can 
make  us  more  knowledgeable  and  aware  of 
the  world  of  our  neighbors,  pointing  out 
ways  where  we  can  move  into  action  in  that 
world.  It  can  provide  opportunities  only  pos- 
sible for  an  international  body  to  recognize 
and  uphold  concerns  of  the  whole  Society. 
This  may  then  call  for  individual  or  for 
group  action  or  when  we  meet  on  a world- 
wide scale  we  may  achieve  commitment  of 
the  whole  world  Society  of  Friends. 

The  face  to  face  meeting  of  the  Fifth 
World  Conference  is  over.  The  torch  which 
was  lit  for  each  one  of  us  present  at  Guilford 
has  now  to  be  used  by  us  to  set  fire  to  those 
held  by  all  other  Friends  waiting  every- 
where. It’s  difficult  to  make  live  for  you 
what  we  shared  so  that  you  too  are  caught 
up  in  a realization  of  the  amazing  possibili- 
ties that  are  now  before  us.  In  this  you  must 
help  us  by  being  open  to  receive,  ready  to 
enter  into  the  depth  of  concern  which  moved 
the  whole  conference  and  out  of  which 
emerged  the  burning  issues  I will  briefly 
lay  before  you. 

Start  at  the  place  of  recommital,  laying  aside 
what  separates  and  divides  us  and  meet  each 
other  at  the  deep  center  where  we  are  truly  in 
the  presence  that  unites.  The  living  experience 
of  God  is  what  matters,  and  that,  we  discovered 
at  Guilford,  is  known  when  form  takes  its  in- 
significant place  while  we  praise  and  thank  God 
together,  accepting  that  true  worship  lies  in 
giving  to  God  undivided  attention  so  that  the 
spirit  can  become  manifest.  We  quickly  laid 
aside  the  terms  “programmed”  and  “unpro- 
grammed.” We  worshipped  in  hymn  and  in 
word,  and  we  waited  on  the  Lord. 

In  love,  and  in  truth,  we  faced  each  other  and 
our  God  in  open  encounter,  and  as  we  sought 
God  together,  we  really  found  each  other.  The 
search  revealed  a treasure  that  is  beyond  price, 
and  Friends  knew  that  Quakerism,  in  all  its 
different  forms,  is  far  greater  and  wider  and 
stronger  than  any  one  group  had  realized  at  all. 
The  doors  for  that  creative  encounter  are  now 
wide  open,  and  1 do  pray  that  never  again  will 
they  be  closed.  Here  every  one  of  us  must  work: 
and  it  is  hard  work,  to  appreciate,  accept,  and 
love  the  other  Friend  whose  interpretation  and 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  7 


language  we  perhaps  don't  yet  fully  grasp,  and 
maybe  don’t  even  want  to,  but  whose  message 
rings  out  as  clearly  as  our  own.  Together  we 
have  got  to  say,  “Oh,  come  let  us  worship  and 
bow  down,  let  us  kneel  together  before  the  Lord, 
our  Maker.” 

During  the  Conference  it  ivas  felt  right  to  have 
a plenary  session  for  worship  with  short  intro- 
ductions by  two  Friends  from  different  back- 
grounds of  Quakerism.  About  ten  of  us  met  that 
morning  to  arrange  it,  very  unsure  about  how  to 
present  the  evening  meeting.  We  worshipped  to- 
gether and  shared  our  thinking;  the  pattern  fell 
into  place  . . . the  intensity  of  this  w or  ship  re- 
mains with  me  as  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
experiences  1 have  gone  through  . . . we  sep- 
arated, handing  over  the  evening  session  to  God. 
In  the  evening  Friends  straggled  into  the  audi- 
torium. We  had  hoped  that  organ  music  would 
induce  Friends  to  settle  down  quietly ; it  didn’t. 
We  then  sang.  The  two  appointed  Friends  spoke 
briefly.  A Bible  passage  was  read.  Then  we 
waited.  And  after  a short  time,  out  from  the 
silence  rose  voices,  one  after  another : voices 
from  Mexico,  from  Guatemala,  Cuba,  East  Af- 
rica, Jamaica  . . . proclaiming  the  message  of 
Jesus  Christ,  testifying  to  the  joy  of  commit- 
ment, alive  with  the  urgency  for  outreach.  It 
was  a totally  different  Meeting  from  what  I had 
expected,  yes,  and  what  I had  prayed  for,  and  I 
believe  this  was  true  for  many  of  us;  but,  it 
was  an  amazingly  challenging  call  ivhich  strip- 
ped us  all  of  sham  pretences,  from  members 
of  our  younger  churches  ivho  spoke  to  us  in 
simple  trust  and  in  child-like  faith.  This  place 
of  complete  dedication  is  the  place  from  which 
all  of  us  must  now  speak:  / don’t  believe  we 
can  hold  fast  now  to  our  own  personal  concept 
of  Quakerism,  the  one  we  like  and  feel  at  home 
with.  We  know  that  beyond  and  below  the  dif- 
ferences there  is  a solid  foundation  on  which 
essential  Quakerism  rests  and  from  which  it 
rises.  It  isn’t  easy  to  put  it  into  words — as  Hugh 
Campbell-Brown  said,  “The  experience  lived  at 
Guilford.”  It  can,  I am  convinced,  become  real 
for  all  of  us,  if  we  are  willing  to  open  our  hearts 
to  the  possibility. 

Quakerism,  as  Hugh  Doncaster  said,  has 
a message  which  is  relevant  to  the  whole 
world:  It  is  concerned  with  commitment 
which  leads  to  involvement — in  mission  and 
service;  in  peacemaking  and  peace  keeping; 
Black  and  White  Power;  people,  food  and 
the  sharing  of  resources;  the  problems  of 
Viet  Nam  and  the  Middle  East;  protests  and 
direct  action;  the  future  of  Quakerism; 
changing  family  patterns— I could  go  on. 

What  challenge  has  the  World  Conference 
laid  before  us  in  a few  of  these  diverse  areas? 
Mission  and  Service — this  one  caught  our 
imagination  and  will  be  carried  forward.  I 
believe  that  they  are  joined  together  Inex- 


tricably. Evangelical  Friends  claim  that  mis- 
sion has  three  parts:  proclamation,  service, 
fellowship.  Some  of  the  rest  of  us,  perhaps, 
hold  that  proclamation  isn’t  necessarily  part 
of  Quaker  commitment.  I suggest  that  all 
three  parts  are  present  for  all  of  us,  but 
that  proclamation  may  be  voiced  or  un- 
voiced. If  we  are  members  of  our  beloved 
Society,  then  we  certainly  are  not  only 
seekers  but  finders  and  having  found  must 
be  willing  to  share.  Whether  we  put  our 
findings,  even  our  strivings,  into  words,  rests 
upon  each  one  of  us,  but  I believe  we  do 
share  a responsibility  to  present  what  we 
ourselves  have  discovered  at  the  stage  at 
which  we  each  may  be. 

At  Guilford  the  thought  and  discussion  of 
many  years  crystallized  to  some  extent  with 
the  suggestion  that  wider  consultation  be- 
tween various  Quaker  agencies  of  mission 
and  service  should  take  place,  looking  for 
new  areas  of  cooperation  and  hoped-for  vis- 
tas of  a world  Quaker  body,  serving  our 
fellow  men.  Names  have  been  suggested  such 
as  “Quaker  Service,”  but  this  name  does  not 
include  the  idea  of  mission;  more  thought  is 
needed.  To  undertake  this  consultation  funds 
and  new  personnel  will  be  needed.  The  ap- 
pointment of  a Friend  of  vision,  sensitivity, 
and  loving  concern  is  essential  to  undertake 
such  a difficult  task  of  consultation.  The 
World  Committee  is  dedicated  to  this  task. 
Before  us  are  exciting,  fresh  fields  of  co- 
operation, but  nothing  will  be  accomplished 
unless  we  all  rejoice  in  the  opportunity  and 
pledge  ourselves  to  its  fulfillment. 

Another  concern:  can  I bring  to  you  the 
two  long  rows  of  Friends  who  stood  facing 
each  other  on  the  Guilford  campus,  young 
and  old  men  and  women,  from  many  coun- 
tries, in  a silent  vigil  for  peace?  I found  my- 
self thinking  of  the  needless  suffering  of 
untold  numbers,  of  the  terror  known  by 
children,  the  agony  of  the  aged;  and  of  the 
young  soldier  that  I recently  sat  beside  on 
a plane.  On  his  way  to  Vietnam,  he  ex- 
claimed, “I  don’t  want  to  kill  anybody!  I 
would  rather  share  a beer  with  him.”  New 
material  from  the  FWCC  will  soon  invite 
Friends  of  all  the  Yearly  Meetings  to  study 
pre-conditions  for  international  peace.  From 
the  Conference  came  the  testimony,  “Peace 
is  more  than  the  abolition  of  war,  peace  is 
dynamic,  peace  is. Divine  Love,  implemented 
through  freedom  and  law.” 

At  another  session  we  listened  to  the  cry 
not  for  Black  or  White,  but  for  shared  power 
from  a panel  of  five— a white  American,  a 
South  African,  a Rhodesian,  an  East  Af- 
rican, and  a negro  American.  The  call  of  the 
East  African  young  mother  was  for  a world 
in  which  her  African  children  could  live. as 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  8 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


equal  human  beings.  Our  American  negro 
Friend  from  out  of  the  depths  of  his  own 
work  and  experience  snapped  us  awake  by 
declaring,  “What  can  you  expect  when  we 
drain  love  from  the  hearts  of  a people?”  . . . 
“When  we  stamp  out  love  from  the  world  of 
experience,  then  hate,  fear  and  distrust 
emerge.”  Words  alone  will  not  suffice;  action 
involving  ourselves  in  personal  commitment 
must  be  our  present  response  to  the  Divine 
Command. 

V V V 

I have  left  to  the  last  the  future  of  Quak- 
erism. Now  that  creative  encounter  has 
taken  place  for  such  a large  body  of  Friends 
I only  hope  that  somehow  it  may  be  possible 
for  it  to  continue,  not  only  among  theologian 
Friends  but  that  the  rank  and  file  may  keep 
this  door  open.  It  would  be  terrible  if  all 
Friends  had  to  wait  another  fifteen  years 
before  another  creative  encounter. 

More  specifically,  I believe  with  Hugh 
Doncaster  that  the  world  is  dying  for  lack 
of  Quakerism  in  action;  I will  turn  it  around 
and  say  “Active  Quakerism.”  I will  not  ac- 
cept, as  was  vaguely  suggested  in  this  Year- 
ly Meeting,  that  we  have  outlived  our  use- 
fulness or  that  the  Society  of  Friends  has 
nothing  essential  to  say  to  modern  man. 
What  we  have  to  say  may  not  be  new,  but 
essential  it  is,  and  we’ve  got  to  find  ways 
of  saying  it.  I would  add  that  I am  sure  we 
members  don’t  have  the  monopoly  of  active 
Quakerism:  this  way  of  life  is  wide  open 
for  all  and  followed  by  many. 

There  seem  to  me  to  be  three  essential 
aspects  of  active  Quakerism.  First,  Quaker- 
ism places  responsibility  on  the  individual 
and  on  the  group.  The  individual  must  decide 
whether  to  speak  or  be  silent,  to  uphold  or 
restrain  the  individual.  If  Friends  are  soli- 
tary, unable  to  meet  with  others,  they  should 
be  continually  aware  of  the  support  of  the 
whole  Quaker  group  behind  them. 

Secondly,  Quakerism  calls  for  decision. 
The  initial  moment  of  decision  for  the  indi- 
vidual is  in  choosing  the  Quaker  way,  in  con- 
vincement.  Probably  my  evangelical  Friends 
would  say  that  is  the  moment  of  being  saved. 
But  need  for  decision  continues,  day  in  and 
day  out,  by  each  of  us  and  by  our  groups. 


We  must  try  to  face  in  the  same  direction; 
decisions  can  be  worked  out  together.  After 
decision  comes  involvement.  How  in  prac- 
tice may  this  be  done?  There  is  a simple 
pattern  for  you,  for  me,  and  for  the  group, 
there  is  only  one  answer;  I have  not  always 
practiced  it,  but  when  I do,  life  becomes 
more  of  a whole,  and  days  are  faced  in 
greater  quietness  and  confidence.  The  pat- 
tern is  the  rhythm  that  Jesus  himself  used, 
the  rhythm  of  withdrawal,  renewal,  and  re- 
turn. Jesus  withdrew  to  the  mountain  often, 
to  the  desert,  to  the  waters  of  the  Jordan, 
and  was  renewed,  and  returned  with  the 
spirit  of  God  upon  him.  In  the  wilderness 
“the  devil  left  him  for  a season.”  (This  com- 
forts me.)  He  withdrew  to  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration,  was  renewed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  three  disciples,  and  came  down 
off  the  mountain  to  heal  the  epileptic.  He 
withdrew  in  a way  to  the  cross,  kept  faith 
even  there,  and  returned  in  the  power  of  the 
resurrection.  However  you  interpret  these 
words  the  experience  was  and  is  alive.  With- 
drawal, renewal,  return — for  individual  and 
group.  Thus  could  we  say  “We  had  every- 
thing, and  none  of  it  is  ours.  We  have,  per- 
force, to  share.” 

One  of  the  newspaper  reporters  wrote 
from  Guilford:  “A  fundamental  Quaker 
preachment  is  that  the  way  one  lives  must 
reflect  the  Christian  way  in  all  things.  Let 
your  life  speak.  That  is  a tough  one  to  abide. 
Nowadays,  it  just  won’t  do,  loving  a neigh- 
bor as  you  love  yourself.  Especially  if  your 
neighbor  is  ignorant,  black,  and  needs  a 
bath;  or  even  if  he  is  educated,  black,  and 
sponges  off  now  and  then.  Another  funda- 
mental belief  of  Quakers  is  that  there  is  that 
of  God  in  every  man.  Basically,  it  accounts 
for  humanistic  endeavors  that  Quakers  have 
been  about  for  300  years.  Their  religion  and 
acts  of  compassion  become  inseparable,  fus- 
ing into  one:  they  don’t  say  what  ‘that’  is, 
they  just  say  it  is  there.  I think  it  would  be 
wonderful  to  be  a Quaker  ...  I am  sorry 
it’s  so  late — much  too  late.”  We  are  Quakers: 
for  us  it  is  not  too  late.  We  are  part  of  our 
own  ecumenical  family,  with  a job  to  be 
done  with  joy,  not  despair,  with  hope,  learn- 
ing how  to  worship  in  depth  and  then  moving 
out  to  serve  God’s  children. 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  9 


LET  YOUR  LIVES  SPEAK 

This  issue  inaugurates  a new  column  to  publish  from 
time  to  time  accounts  of  endeavors  past,  present,  or 
hoped  for  by  Friends  of  Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  to  act 
in  the  spirit  of  George  Fox’s  injunction.  The,  BULLETIN 
hopes  that  individual  Friends’  committees,  and  Meetings 
will  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity  to  share  their 
inspiration  and  convictions,  their  ideas  and  techniques, 
with  the  wider  community  of  Frienls. 


ON  THE  ANTI-DRAFT  MOVEMENT 

We  who  sign  this  feel  a special  urgency  to  speak 
a common  conscience  regarding  the  growing  anti- 
draft movement.  We  feel  it  is  historic.  We  feel  it  is 
essentially  good;  though  we  do  have  reservations 
about  some  parts  of  it. 

We  do  not  doubt  that  a probing  critic  can  find 
some  very  human  evils  in  this  young  and  groping 
movement.  But  we  feel  that  these  are  as  nothing 
compared  to  the  far  greater  and  prior  evil  of  the 
draft  itself.  Conscription  is  one  of  man’s  most  de- 
humanizing ways  of  coercing  his  fellow  man,  the 
more  tragic  and  inexcusable  in  this  country  be- 
cause the  XIII  Amendment  to  the  U.S.  Constitution 
specifically  and  unequivocally  outlaws  all  forms 
of  “involuntary  servitude”  except  as  punishment. 

We  who  sign  this  feel  a special  responsibility 
to  speak  because,  as  participants  in  a recognized 
“peace  church,”  we  have  for  many  years  been 
granted  special-privilege  status  within  the  draft 
system,  as  conscientious  objectors.  This  has  tended 
to  blind  us  to  the  evil  of  the  draft  itself,  and  to  the 
treatment  of  those  who  don’t  qualify  for  such  a 
draft  classification. 

We  therefore  applaud  the  courage  of  those  who 
refuse  to  let  themselves  be  “used”  to  meet  com- 
mitments which  are  morally  questionable  at  best, 
and  which,  in  any  case,  are  not  their  own,  especially 
in  view  of  the  severe  penalties  threatened.  We  ap- 
plaud even  more  those  in  totalitarian  countries  who 
take  such  a stand;  and  they  too  will  take  courage 
from  the  draft -refusers  in  America.  These  cour- 
ageous young  people  do  an  incalculable  service  to 
all  of  us,  even  to  those  who  so  strongly  oppose 
them. 

In  closing,  we  wish  to  address  ourselves  directly 
to  the  draft-refusers  as  follows: 

We  support  your  right  to  refuse  to  be  conscripted. 
Even  when  you  go  beyond  passive  refusal  to  active 
opposition  and  political  action  we  pray  for  strength 
to  support  you  provided  what  is  thereby  required 
of  us  does  not  conflict  with  our  commitment  to 
what  we  conceive  as  “non-violence”:  i.e.  a com- 
mitment to  consider  every  individual,  even  one  who 
misuses  us,  as  a sacred  person,  and  never  as  a 
mere  means  to  our  own  or  another’s  ends  no  matter 
how  noble  these  may  seem.  We  have  found  this 
very  difficult  to  do  at  times.  But  perhaps  together 
we  can  accomplish  what  we  could  not  do  alone. 
You  help  give  us  courage  to  keep  trying. 

The  following  is  a partial  list  of  confirmed  sign- 
ers up  to  October  24,  1967;  additional  signatures  are 
being  continually  added: 

ROBERT  J.  HEILMAN,  Nevada  City 
MARILYN  HEILMAN,  Nevada  City 
HERBERT  FOSTER,  JR.,  Visalia 
JAMES  BALDRIDGE,  Berkeley 
ELAINE  SCHOOLEY,  Berkeley 
BERNARD  CHALIP  Alameda 
ALICE  CHALIP,  Alameda 


LAURENCE  CHALIP,  Alameda 

VIRGINIA  O’ROURKE,  Berkeley 

ERNEST  GOERTZEN,  Berkeley 

MARY  LOU  GOERTZEN,  Berkeley 

PAUL  ROUSSEAU,  Oakland 

OLIVIA  ROUSSEAU,  Oakland 

ALFRED  F.  ANDERSEN  Berkeley 

JENNEVIEVE  IVESTIVICK,  Berkeley 

ELOY  MAYES  Alameda 

JOHN  F1TZ,  Berkeley 

HENRY  G.  LOHMANN,  JR.,  San  Francisco 

ALFRED  F.  ANDERSEN 
For  an  ad-hoc  group  of  the  Quaker  faith  from  the 
greater  San  Francisco  Bay  area. 

A TOKEN  OF  WAR  RESISTANCE 

Speaking  at  the  Tucson  peace  rally  on  October 
21,  Jim  Corbett  urged  engagement  in  non-violent 
action  to  help  the  victims  of  this  war  and  to  con- 
front the  anti-human  policies  of  the  United  States 
government  by  contributing  to  the  medical  aid  pro- 
gram of  the  Canadian  Friends  Service  Committee. 
(U.S.  officials  have  said  that  Americans  who  send 
aid  for  Vietnamese  war  victims  who  are  outside 
areas  occupied  by  the  U.S.  are  in  violation  of  a 
law  for  which  they  may  be  imprisoned  up  to  10 
years  and  fined  as  much  as  $10,000,  although  none 
of  the  many  who  have  openly  contributed  has 
yet  been  indicted.)  He  said,  “Many  of  us  in  this 
country  feel  that  if  we  allow  the  government  to  in- 
timidate us  into  ignoring  any  of  the  victims  of  U.S. 
violence,  our  acquiescence  would  be  a fundamental 
betrayal  of  the  spirit  of  love  and  truth.  We  also 
believe  our  refusal  to  be  intimidated  should  not  be 
surreptitious,  but  should  be  made  visible.  In  order 
to  make  our  action  visible  and  in  order  not  to  avoid 
its  social  and  legal  consequences,  some  of  us  have 
decided  to  wear  an  eight-pointed  red-and-black 
star,  consisting  of  four  lines  crossed.  This  linear 
star  has  been  derived  from  the  familiar  Quaker 
relief  star,  but  it  is  distinct  from  it;  it  has  no  sectar- 
ian, creedal,  or  political  significance.  Its  practical 
significance  is  that  those  wearing  it  are  openly 
aiding  war  victims  in  all  parts  of  Vietnam  and  are, 
consequently,  felons  in  the  eyes  of  the  state.  There 
are  no  words  or  slogans  with  the  red-and-black 
linear  star,  so  everyone  will  have  to  decide  about 
its  meaning  for  himself.  Maybe  it’s  a little  like  the 
cross  when  it  was  still  despised.  Or  maybe  it’s 
something  like  the  yellow  star  worn  by  some 
Danes  during  the  Nazi  occupation.” 

Jim  Corbett,  Box  947,  Florence,  AZ  85232  will 
send  an  emblem  to  any  one  who  sends  to  him  a 
copy  of  his  notice  to  the  Treasury  Department. 
There  is  no  reason  for  donors  not  to  make  their 
own  emblem.  It  consists  of  two  red  lines,  one  ver- 
tical, one  horizontal,  and  two  black  lines  at  a 
45°  incline,  all  intersectiong  at  their  center. 

JAMES  A.  CORBETT 
Pima  Meeting 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  10 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


ASSISTANCE  TO  DELANO  STRIKERS 

Up  to  a few  years  ago  the  conditions  among 
farm  workers  described  in  “The  Grapes  of  Wrath” 
were  essentially  unchanged;  wages  were  still  often 
below  one  dollar  an  hour,  and  housing  and  health 
conditions  were  sometimes  appalling.  Early  in  1955 
an  organizing  effort  among  migrant  farm  workers 
was  begun  in  Delano,  California,  led  by  Caesar 
Chavez,  which  achieved  the  first  successes  in  win- 
ning collective  bargaining  rights  for  farm  workers. 
Boycotts  of  products  of  growers  in  the  San  Joa- 
quin Valley,  while  probably  not  hurting  sales  sig- 
nificantly, were  widely  publicised  then,  and  the 
adverse  publicity  combined  with  the  statesmanship 
of  Chavez  and  the  obvious  validity  of  his  claims 
on  behalf  of  the  workers  gradually  led  to  agree- 
ments with  a number  of  the  growers.  The  workers 
are  still  only  recognized  by  a minority  of  growers, 
and  the  strike  goes  on  in  the  Central  Valley;  an 
important  part  of  this  effort  has  been  a consistent 
core  of  striking  families  who  have  gradually  built 
up  a self-help  center  providing  food,  medical  facil- 
ities, and  housing  for  families  involved. 

Friends  in  California  have  been  involved  in  sup- 
port of  the  farm  workers  from  the  beginning,  partly 
because  Caesar  Chavez  was  already  known  to 
Friends  through  his  association  with  the  AFSC 
migrant  labor  project  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley; 
and  a number  of  Meetings  in  the  College  Park  and 
Southern  California  Quarterly  Meetings  continue 
to  help  the  striking  families  on  some  regular  basis. 
At  this  time  several  Meetings  are  part  of  a project 
being  coordinated  by  the  Northern  California  Coun- 
cil of  Churches  Migrant  Ministry.  Palo  Alto  Meet- 
ing and  College  Park  Meeting  (and  two  Unitarian 
groups)  are  responsible  for  visits  and  material 
assistance  on  the  “5th-Sunday”  weekend  of  the 
year. 

Early  in  July  a letter  was  received  in  Palo  Alto 
from  Caesar  Chevez  of  thanks  for  past  visits  and 
help  and  describing  the  critical  situation  at  that 
time:  “Nearly  120  families  and  75  single  men  are 
committed  full  time  to  the  strike.  Families  aver- 
age 608  children,  so  that  the  center  in  Delano  is 
now  providing  more  than  1,000  men,  women  and 
children  three  meals  a day.  Nearly  90%  of  the  food 
and  money  for  this  program  must  be  provided  by 
concerned  individuals  and  groups  throughout  Cal- 
ifornia. The  strike  store  had  recently  been  without 
meat,  fruit,  vegetables,  and  milk  for  several  weeks 
at  a time,  forcing  families  to  use  their  $5  weekly 
strike  benefit  for  food  necessities  and  leaving  no- 
thing for  other  necessities  and  emergencies.  Our 
families  cannot  survive  in  this  way.  If  our  people 
cannot  eat,  the  strike  cannot  survive.  We  have  been 
on  strike  for  21  months.  In  that  time  we  have  won 
contract  at  5 ranches  including  the  giants  Schen- 
ley  and  DiGiorgio.  Contract  negotiations  are  in  pro- 
gress with  Guerra  Farms  in  Rio  Grande,  Texas. 
(Organizing  has  begun  also  among  farm  workers 
in  other  western  states,  notably  Texas,  where  major 
growers  import  subsidized  labor  from  Mexico.  Ed.), 
Christian  Brothers  in  Napa,  and  Mosesian  and 
Hourigan  in  Delano.  Election  procedures  are  pend- 
ing at  Paul  Masson,  Almaden  and  Gallo.  We  are 
on  our  way.  We  have  many  battles  to  win.  We 
MUST  not  be  defeated  by  hunger.” 

The  “5th-Sunday”  groups  made  a special  collec- 
tion of  food  and  money  for  Delano,  suggesting 
these  items:  flour,  coffee,  lard,  canned  milk,  rice, 
sugar,  canned  meat,  corn,  string  beans,  canned 
fruits,  dry  cereals,  Quaker  Oats,  jams  and  jellies, 
tomatoes,  juices,  powdered  milk,  dried  beans  and 
all  kinds  of  staples;  detergent,  bleach,  toilet  paper, 
soap.  Checks  can  be  sent  to  the  Meeting  or  direct 
to  Delano  Food  Fund,  P.O.  Box  130,  Delano,  Califor- 


nia 93215  (payable  to  National  Farm  Workers,  Ser- 
vice Center.) 

On  July  30  a number  of  families  drove  to  Delano 
(about  250  miles)  staying  overnight  with  Friends  in 
Visalia  and  delivering  to  the  strike  center  some 
$400  in  contributions  and  donated  food  and  cloth- 
ing. 

ALAN  STRAIN 

Peace  and.  Social  Action  Committee 

Palo  Alto  Meeting 

SUMMER  CAMP  FOR  DELANO  CHILDREN 

After  the  close  of  the  regular  season  at  Hidden 
Villa,  we  arranged  a camp  session  for  the  children 
of  agricultural  workers  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Delano.  Most  of  them  were  the  children  of  families 
involved  in  the  strike,  ages  5-13.  Caesar  Chavez’ 
son  was  one  of  them.  Contact  was  made  through 
Anne  Sample,  a former  counsellor  at  Hidden  Villa, 
now  married  to  Dick  Sample,  who  is  one  the  staff 
of  the  Migrant  Ministry,  a Council  of  Churches  or- 
ganization. 

Thirty-five  children  arrived  on  Monday,  August 
28th  and  remained  until  Saturday,  September  2nd. 
From  my  regular  staff  I retained  the  cook,  the 
maintenance  boy,  and  the  riding  counselor  (the 
last  two  served  as  volunteers.  A staff  of  six  ac- 
companied the  children  in  addition  to  Anne,  who 
was  the  director.  The  program  consisted  of  hiking, 
riding,  swimming,  arts  and  crafts,  singing,  games 
and  the  miscellaneous  camp  activities.  The  combin- 
ation of  staff  who  knew  the  ranch  and  the  mechan- 
ics of  food  production  with  counselors  who  knew 
the  children  worked  very  well.  The  Migrant  Min- 
istry provided  the  transportation  and  the  insurance 
policy.  The  camp  donated  the  services  of  the  cook 
and  some  of  the  food  grown  on  the  ranch  or  left 
over  from  the  summer  sessions.  Palo  Alto  Meeting 
donated  $71.25  which  was  a very  generous  subsidy 
for  the  food  budget. 

This  was  the  first  camp  experience  for  these 
children  and  for  many  of  them  the  first  time  away 
from  their  families.  The  concept  of  meal  times  as 
a group  experience,  regular  bed  hours,  responsibility 
for  camp  chores,  listening  quietly  to  announcements, 
etc.  represented  new  situations  for  most  of  them.  I 
am  sorry  that  I have  not  received  any  report  as 
yet  (September  20)  from  the  valley  group  so  I am 
not  able  to  evaluate  from  their  point  of  view.  From 
my  observation  here  it  was  a worthwhile  project 
and  I should  like  to  suggest  that  the  Meeting  (Palo 
Alto)  consider  sponsoring  it  gain  in  1968  and  either 
include  it  in  next  year’s  budget  or  arrange  a special 
collection  as  was  done  htis  year. 

JOSEPHINE  DUVENECK 

Palo  Alto  Meeting 

FROM  THE  AFSC  CORPORATION 
MEETING 

(Continued) 

in  the  meeting.  A need  was  felt  for  further  clarifi- 
cation and  thought  before  a decision  could  be  made. 

The  public  meetings  on  October  21  were  led  by 
AFSC  staff  members  who  have  been  involved  in 
various  programs  this  past  year. 

David  Stickney,  until  recently  the  field  director 
of  the  AFSC  Vietnam  Refugee  and  Rehabilitation 
Program  in  Quang  Ngai  Province,  Vietnam,  ex- 
pressed his  conviction  that  by  making  its  position 
opposing  the  war  clear,  and  by  being  careful  to 
maintain  freedom  of  action  to  choose  and  discipline 
staff,  choose  program  and  treat  Viet  Cong  children 
as  well  as  others,  the  AFSC  has  been  able  to  work 
without  compromising  its  integrity.  He  presented  a 
moving  account  of  the  work  being  done  there  and 
summed  it  up  saying,  “What  we  have  seen  as  a 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  11 


witness  of  love  in  Vietnam,  others  see  as  e bolster- 
ing of  the  war  effort.” 

The  scope  of  the  AFSC  program  was  further  em- 
phasized by  Julian  E Bulley,  who  described  his 
efforts  as  peace  education  secretary  in  Ohio  to  get 
newsmen  involved  in  meaningful  seminars  on 
Peace  and  related  issues;  Earl  G.  Harrison,  vho  was 
coordinator  for  a Tripartite  Work  and  Study  Pro- 
ject with  participants  from  Russia,  Britain  and  the 
U.S.A.;  Stephen  Thiermann,  who  described  his  work 
as  director  of  the  AFSC  Conferences  and  Semin- 
ars Program  in  Europe  involving  154  different  per- 
sons from  54  countries;  Percy  Baker,  AFSC  repre- 
sentative to  the  Black  Power  conference  in  New- 
ark; and  M.  Hayse  Mizell,  as  director  of  the  AFSC 
South  Carolina  Community  Relations  Piogram  who 
told  of  the  lack  of  progress  being  made  in  inte- 
gration in  the  south,  commenting  that  there  are 
more  children  in  totally  segregated  schools  now 
than  there  were  ten  years  ago  when  the  Supreme 
Court  made  its  ruling. 

Colin  Bell,  the  AFSC  Executive  Secretary,  in 
closing  the  sessions,  stressed  that  in  his  view  the 
AFSC  has  always  contained  two  mutually  comple- 
mentary streams  of  activity:  (1)  which  may  be  lik- 
ened to  first  aid,  is  a direct  response  to  human 
need;  and  (2)  which  is  more  like  preventative  medi- 
cine, consists  of  attempts  to  alleviate  the  basic 
causes  which  create  a need  for  relief.  As  just  one 
example  of  how  some  AFSC  programs  gain  unex- 
pected outreach:  for  a number  of  years  we  have 
had  small  projects  in  equal  housing.  A report  re- 
cently completed  on  this  has  been  given  to  the  gov- 
ernment and  is  now  being  seriously  studied.  To 
sum  it  up,  “Love  does  not  make  all  things  easy 
but  makes  us  choose  what  is  difficult.” 

CHARLES  H.  LUDWIG 

Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  Representative 

FROM  THE  QUARTERLY  MEETINGS 

PACIFIC  NORTHWEST  QUARTERLY  MEETING 

met  at  Eastside  Meeting  House,  Bellevue,  Washing- 
ton, October  21.  The  lovely  wooded  setting  of  the 
meeting  house  was  a welcome  contrast  to  the  ten- 
sion felt  in  some  of  our  considerations.  Some  of 
our  members  were  absent  or  delayed  because  they 
were  taking  part  in  a demonstration  against  mili- 
tary conscription.  We  agreed  to  send  a minute  of 
loving  concern  to  a former  member  who  was  among 
those  arrested  earlier  in  the  week  for  civil  disobe- 
dience. We  considered  a letter  from  PYM  Clerk 
about  the  setting  up  of  a bank  account  to  receive 
money  to  aid  civilian  sufferers  throught  Vietnam. 
We  agreed  to  send  a small  contribution  as  an  indi- 
cation of  our  approval,  but  it  was  not  a decision 
easily  reached. 

The  Education  Committee  asked  that  each 
Monthly  Meeting  consider  seriously  and  in  depth 
the  concerns  of  Junior  Friends  regarding  marriage, 
social  behavior,  “pot,”  language,  etc.  The  Peace 
Committee  asked  that  each  Monthly  Meeting  con- 
sider in  depth  its  peace  testimony  and  report  the 
results  in  its  next  State  of  Society  report. 

Hearing  from  each  meeting  is  always  an  impor- 
tant part  of  our  proceedings.  We  had  in  attendance 
representatives  from  Argenta,  Eastside,  Tacoma, 
University,  Skagit-Whatcom  Allowed,  and  Vancou- 
ver, and  in  addition  reports  were  sent  from  Calgary 
and  Victoria.  Each  report  has  its  own  flavor  and 
they  cannot  be  summarized,  but  through  them  all 
one  senses  the  efforts  to  deepen  the  life  of  the 
spirit  and  the  fellowship  among  members.  There  are 
many  activities  in  the  direction  of  peace  and  con- 
cern for  suffering  because  of  war — both  in  actual 
victims  and  those  who  suffer  for  conscience  in  its 
opposition.  Our  international  nature  made  itself  felt 


as  we  heard  how  some  of  the  Canadian  meetings 
helping  war  refugees  from  the  U.S.  are  themselves 
being  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  young  fami- 
lies. There  was  also  a feeling  of  the  impact  of  the 
Friends  World  Conference,  through  delegates  and 
study  materials. 

Our  evening  program  consisted  in  a report  of 
the  World  Conference  by  three  of  our  members 
who  attended.  Ward  Miles  gave  a general  back- 
ground. John  Sullivan  gave  the  essence  of  some 
of  the  major  messages  and  the  development  of  the 
special  statements.  Hazel  Legge  spoke  of  worship 
in  all  its  aspects. 

Our  next  Quarterly  Meeting  will  be  in  Tacoma, 
Washington,  April  6.  It  will  be  preceded  by  sessions 
Friday  evening  and  Saturday  morning  of  young 
people  and  adults  considering  together  how  we 
communicate  with  each  other. 

ALICE  MILES 

WILLAMETTE  QUARTERLY  MEETING  was  held 
in  Eugene  November  11,  12.  Our  desire  is  to  in- 
crease in  friendship  with  each  other  through  over- 
night family  visiting.  Friends  from  all  four  meetings, 
and  from  Portland  Friends  and  John  Day  worship 
groups  were  welcomed,  as  well  as  a number  of 
Young  Friends  from  colleges  up  and  down  the 
valley.  The  YF  crowded  into  the  Kellogg’s  house, 
and  the  Junior  Friends  camped  with  the  Etters. 

On  Saturday  night  everyone  from  Junior  Friends 
on  up  met  at  the  meeting  house  to  listen  to  Margaret 
Gibbins’  speech  from  Yearly  Meeting.  Her  witness 
was  deeply  felt  and  entered  into  the  depth  of  the 
Meeting  for  Worship  on  Sunday.  Small  group  dis- 
cussions on  the  World  conference  and  on  Yearly 
Meeting  were  also  held  Sunday  morning. 

Reports  to  the  Quarterly  Meeting  indicated  that 
all  the  Meetings  are  having  a marked  increase  in 
the  number  of  students  attending.  Eugene  Meeting 
is  sponsoring  a weekly  supper  group  attended  by 
numbers  of  students  in  addition  to  our  Young 
Friends.  Multnomah  and  Corvallis  and  Portland 
Friends  WG  have  held  excellent  retreats.  John  Day 
families  have  devised  and  have  printed,  available 
on  request,  a placard  suitable  for  car  or  home 
windows,  KEEP  VIETNAM  GREEN.  (Write  to  Ted 
Merrill,  515  E.  Main  St.,  John  Day,  OR  97845.  Con- 
tributions welcome.) 

Junior  Friends  worked  hard  on  plans  for  their 
winter,  spring,  and  summer  camps,  also  getting  set 
for  resuming  next  summer  a joint  camp  with  JF 
from  Washington. 

Friends  in  this  Quarter  have  been  interested  in 
holding  a summer  conference  in  the  northwest  for 
those  unable  to  attend  Yearly  Meeting.  The  invita- 
tion to  join  in  this,  extended  to  Pacific  NW  Quarter, 
has,  however,  been  declined  by  them  as  Washing- 
ton Friends  are  already  heavily  involved  in  a 
number  of  regular  summer  conferences  in  the 
Seattle  area.  We  decided  to  go  ahead  with 
this  for  ourselves  and  any  interested  guests  in 
the  years  when  the  Yearly  Meeting  is  held  else- 
where. The  Monthly  Meetings  are  increasingly  de- 
veloping their  own  retreats,  and  the  two-day  Quar- 
terly Meeting  sessions  appear  to  fill  the  need  for 
other  regional  gatherings. 

Consultations  are  under  way  with  Pacific  NW 
Quarter  for  carrying  the  increased  responsibilities 
which  will  be  involved  in  holding  Yearly  Meeting 
in  the  northwest  every  other  year. 

Emphasis  was  given  to  the  need  for  support  for 
the  appeal  for  money  to  finance  the  expanding  CO 
counselling  services  weighing  increasingly  on  the 
regional  AFSC  offices. 

ALICE  DART,  Clerk 


DECEMBER,  1967— PAGE  12 


FRIENDS  BULLETIN 


NOTES  FROM  HERE  AND  THERE 

ANNOUNCEMENT 

HANYA  ETTER  (Berkeley)  and  GUNTER  TRAG- 
ESER,  of  Germany,  will  be  married  Sunday,  Decem- 
ber 31  at  2 p.m.  in  the  Friends  Meeting  House  in 
Eugene,  Oregon.  They  will  live  in  Germany  following 
the  wedding.  A cordial  invitation  is  extended  to  all 
Friends.  R.S.V.P.  Mary  Etter,  2815  Elinor  St.,  Eu- 
gene, OR  97403. 

NEWS  OF  FRIENDS 

MARGARET  GI3BINS’  opening  remarks  at  Yearly 
Meeting  included:  “It  is  inevitable  that  I reminisce 
of  my  first  visit  to  Pacific  Yearly  Meeting  in  1953 
at  Beulah  Park;  I had  come  from  the  London 
Yearly  Meeting  with  all  its  tradition  and  formality, 
and  I appreciated  very  much  your  informality.  Phil- 
lip Wells  was  Clerk  at  that  time  and  arrived  with 
a large  cardboard  box,  advertising  some  drink  or 
other,  in  which  were  the  precious  Minutes  of  the 
Yearly  Meeting.  I must  say  that  it  Is  impressive  now 
to  listen  to  the  work  and  the  thought  of  Pacific 
Yearly  Meeting — I hope  I am  not  going  to  be  back 
in  London  Yearly  Meeting  the  next  time  I come  . . . 
I hope  you  keep  your  informality  and  spontaneity 
. . . Travelling  at  that  time  with  Peggy  Church  on 
our  way  to  visit  Friends  in  Canada,  during  the  time 
of  McCarthy,  we  were  stopped  at  the  Canadian  bor- 
der and  really  quite  thoroughly  put  to  the  test:  “What 
documents  did  I have,  what  food,  fruit,”  and  so  on, 
thumbing  through  my  passport  very  effectively;  and 
after  deciding  we  could  continue  the  official  shouted 
after  us:  “Huh,  two  Quakers  on  the  loose!”  . . . 
And  now  she  has  writen  “It  was  certainly  a wonder- 
ful experience  for  me  to  come  back  ...  I love 
meeting  all  my  former  friends  and  making  new  ones. 
Please  will  you  convey  to  members  of  Pacific  Yearly 
Meeting  my  very,  very  sincere  thanks  for  making 
me  so  welcome,  and  to  the  finance  committee  for 
making  it  possible.  In  a strange  way,  I feel  I belong 
with  Pacific  Y.M.  Friends.” 

JOHN  ULLMAN  (La  Jolla)  has  moved  to  Oakland, 
California  (3565  Dimond  Ave.,  Apt.  17,  Oakland,  CA 
94602)  to  be  near  his  daughter. 

MEL  ACHESON  (Pima)  has  been  sentenced  to 
serve  two  concurrent  3-year  terms  at  McNeil  Island 
Federal  Prison  for  draft  resistance.  Anyone  wishing 
to  write  may  use  the  following  address:  Amy  Ache- 
son,  c/o  Dan  Beverly,  Box  112,  Orting,  WA  98360. 
Amy  would  welcome  letters. 

FROM  THE  MEETINGS 

MONTEREY  PENINSULA  MEETING  has  a new 
meeting  house  at  1057  Mescal  Street  in  Seaside. 
It  is  expected  to  serve  also  as  a Friends  Center  and 
a place  for  community  activities. 


VANCOUVER  MEETING  has  outgrown  its  old 
meting  house;  it  has  been  sold,  and  they  are  pres- 
ently renting  at  505  W.  13th  Avenue,  Vancouver. 
They  are  planning  to  build  and  will  welcome  gifts 
or  loans  in  any  sum.  Friends  who  would  like  to 
help  in  this  way  could  send  checks  made  out  to 
the  Society  of  Friends  to  Christine  Ullmann,  Treas- 
urer, 3913  West  13th  Ave.,  Vancouver  8,  B.C. 

UNIVERSITY  MEETING  held  a Thrashing  Session 
in  October  instead  of  their  Monthly  Meeting.  Four 
groups  considered  Membership;  Responsibility  for 
children  not  attending  Meeting  for  Worship;  Coun- 
selling, professional  vs.  religious;  and  the  Status 
of  Attenders  at  Business  Meetings. 


FROM  ALL  QUARTERS 

FRIENDS  MEETING  FOR  SUFFERINGS  OF  VIET- 
NAMESE CHILDREN  (MSVC)  in  September  heard 
reports  from  its  delegates  to  Vietnam:  Morgan  Sib- 
bett,  Jan  de  Hartog,  and  Mary  Graves.  These  dele- 
gates had  visited  all  orphanages  designated  by  the 
Vietnamese  Government  as  having  children  eligible 
for  adoption,  and  in  most  they  found  heart-rending 
problems  of  overcrowding  and  under-staffing,  with 
accompanying  lack  of  comfort  and  adequate  care. 
The  total  cost  per  month  per  child  has  risen  to 
$28  instead  of  $20  as  anticipated.  Of  the  fourteen 
orphans  Mary  Graves  was  able  to  recommend  for 
adtpion  twelve  are  already  assigned  to  adoptive 
parents.  Others  will  be  assigned  to  the  thirty-one 
other  MSVC  families  approved  by  social  agencies 
in  the  United  States  or  in  process  of  approval, 
Morgan  Sibbett  is  now  in  Vietnam  for  three  months 
to  expedite  the  emigration. 

MSVC  now  hopes,  with  cooperation  from  other 
agencies,  to  establish  a reception  center  in  Vietnam 
large  enough  and  sufficiently  well  equipped  to  ac- 
commodate any  children  available  for  adoption  and 
to  assure  dependable  care  for  them.  (MSVC’s  mail- 
ing address  is  P.O.  Box  38,  Media,  PA  19063.) 


EXPERIMENT  IN  SILENCE 
for  college  Young  Friends  will  take  place 
December  29-January  1 at  Foy  and  Eliza- 
beth Van  Dolsen’s  Farm,  at  Gualala,  Cali- 
fornia. Write  Ogden  Kellogg,  1795  Moss, 
Eugene,  OR  97403.  PARENTS  — PLEASE 
FORWARD  THIS  INFORMATION  TO  YOUR 
YOUNG  FRIEND. 


Postmasters:  Send  form  3579 

FRIENDS  BULLETIN 
2635  Emerald  Street 
Eugene,  Oregon  97403 

Second-Class  Postage  Paid 
at  Eugene,  Oregon 


Margaret’  Brooks 

P.  O.  Box  163 

San  Feronimo  CA  94963